F 1386 
.R35 
1 Copy 2 



lohe PAN AME:RICAN UNION 

JOHN. BARRETT : : Director General 
FRANCISCO J. YANES : Assistant Director 



MEXICO 

THE CITY OF PALACES 



Reprinted from the April, 1918, issue of 
the Bulletin of the Pan American Union 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1918 



Fi38(; 



MEXICO, THE CITY OF 



C'"""KING o'er a vale of antiquities from the top of a great 
])yramid at the close of a perfect autumn day, as was the 
writer's experience, casts a meditative spell over the thought- 
ful mind. A p3-ramid itself is of sufficient interest to absorb 
one's attention, but the Toltecs and the people who came before 
and after them into the beautiful valley of Anahuac builded so 
enduringly and over such a wide area that we are trul}' lost in con- 
temjilating their many works. Mexico's Pyramid of the Sun, 
although to-day its apex stands slightly more than 200 feet above 
the surrounding country, provides a favorable point from which to 
view the valley in which Mexico City lies. The Pyramid of the Sun, 
the greatest of its kind in the western world, may be said to be 
analogous to Cheops, which overshadows the valley of the Nile, a 
few miles from the chief city of Egypt. Mexico and Cairo, then, 
might be appropriately termed the world's pyramid capitals, with 
clusters of these marvels standing sentinel-like near their gates. On 
opposite sides of the earth were the ancient builders of pyramids, 
yet we have no positive assurance that either army of workers had 
any knowledge of the existence of the other. The Orientals worked 
amid the drifting sands of a sun-parched land, sUghtly moistened 
by the Nile; while those who constructed Mexico's colossal monu- 
ments chose a high and fruitful valley li])erally watered by great 
lakes and small streams. 

A view of Anahuac, or the valley of Mexico, as modern peoples 
know this picturesque region, reveals at present a somewhat changed 
surface, and only a few large lakes are left of what in prehistoric 
years may have been an inland sea dotted with islands. This valley 
of Anahuac, about 60 miles long and 30 miles wide, is surrounded by 
mountains, some of whose peaks are continually capped with snow, 
while in the lowlands tropical fruits and flowers are features of vegeta- 
ble life. The altitude of this valley varies from 5,000 to 8,000 feet, 
and there prevails, consequentl}^ a climate of perpetual sj)ring, the 
tliermomcter registering a mean annual temperature of about 59° F. 
in the vicinity of the capital. May is the hottest month of the year 
with an average temperature of 64° F.; December is the coolest, the 
average of the therniomctor jjoiiig about 53° F. Between these 
months the Mexican vallc}' cxperiencos its season of rains, which, 
beginning with the warmer May days, gradually grow to maxinnim 
and diminish by the end of autumn. The change in temperature 

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6 MEXICO, THE CITY OF PALACES. 

varies only a few degrees during tlie year, but is especially marked 
between sun and shade and between night and day. Usually in 
Mexico City the midday sun is hot, but the shade is rather cool; 
with the coming of darkness the air cools quickly and light wraps are 
comfortable. The name Anahuac, which means "near the water," 
may refer to the lakes in the region of the present City of Mexico, 
while Toltec was the name applied to the earl}- inhabitants. These 
migratory people, it is recorded, appeared in the valley of Anahuac 
in 648 A. D. There seems to be no story of the people who antedated 
the Toltecs, but history does show that the Toltecs disappeared from 
Anahuac about 1051 A. D., and a hundred and some years later, or 
about 1170 A. D., the Chichimecas made their appearance. Then 
came the Aztecs or Mexicans to Tula (50 miles north of Mexico City) 
and other members of the great Nahuatlan family who began found- 
ing cities and erecting temples and palaces in the valley of Mexico. 
In 1325 Tenochtitlan, or Mexico City, was founded by the Aztecs. 
This event occurred nearly 200 years before Cortez arrived on the 
scene. 

The story runs that the Aztec god, Huitzilopochtli, had warned 
his people that they should not stop their wanderings until they 
found an eagle perched on a cactus eating a serpent. When they 
reached the shore of Lake Texcoco they saw on a little island in the 
lake an eagle perched on a cactus with a serpent in his talons; so 
there they rested, and their Chief said to them, ''Here our wanderings 
shall cease; here you shall found a great city." This is said to have 
occurred July 18, 1325. 

These Aztecs then and there began to construct huts on piles in the 
shallow lake. Their reason for choosmg homes over the water must 
have been a precautionary measure against annoyance or attack by 
animals or by other migratory human beings. At that time, from 
various accounts, it appears that Lake Texcoco spread considerably 
farther westward than is the case to-day; or, in other words, its 
shore line during intervening centuries has receded, so that the 
present heart of Mexico City is several miles from the border of this 
l)(>autiful sheet of water. 

Thus, we may draw on the imagination for a glimpse of the begin- 
ning of Mexico City. The name given to the settlement, as already 
mentioned, was Tenochtitlan, which means ''place where the cactus 
is on the rock." This title, however, appears to have been changed 
at an early date (o Mexico, in honor of the war god, Mexitli; and it 
is recorded that by 1 150 many of the earlier houses built of rushes 
and mud, etc., on the shore of Lake Texcoco had been replaced by 
more pretentious structures of stone. J'assing over many years of 
sthring events and various eras of i)rimitive construction, we lind 
that the Aztecs had attained a high state of splendor when the Span- 
iards cniiK^ to iiiviulc llic counfry. History shows that tlie place 




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10 MEXICO^ THE CITY OF PALACES. 

had from 50,000 to 60,000 houses, a po];)uhiti()ii of somethmg hke 
300,000, and a ch-cumference of about 12 miles. 

The chief of the Aztecs, the first ^lontezuma (or Moctezuma), 
died about 17 years before the arrival of Cortes and his fellow adven- 
turers, Montezuma II was rulino; over the Aztecs when the Spanish 
invaders reached the present site of Mexico City, after a long and 
memorable pilgrimage from the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Theii- 
surprise must have been great when they first beheld the Aztec 
capital, for the city is described as havmg been in a high state of 
development, but of an entirely different nature from that of Euro- 
pean civilization. The splendors of the city and its evident wealth 
and luxury doubtless first aroused in the Spanish adventurers the 
desire to dispossess the Montezumas and to concjuer the countr}". 

Passing over the days of the Spanish Conquest and coming down 
to the present, we find Mexico's capital located in a Federal District 
havmg an area of 579 scj[uare miles. The city proper covers about 15 
square miles. For admmistrative purposes this District is further 
divided into 13 municipalities, of which Mexico City is one. At the 
head of the Federal District government is a superior council com- 
posed of a governor, a du'cctor of public works, and a president of 
the board of health. All are appointed by the Chief Executive, but 
they act under the Department of the Interior. The governor is the 
political authority and he enforces laws and decrees, commands the 
police, fire department, etc., and is charged with the operation of 
public utilities, the inspection of weights, measures, etc. The 
director of public works looks after the water supply, streets, 
parks, lighting the city, markets, and allied activities affectmg the 
public; while the duties of the ])rcsident of the board of health are 
mdicated by the title of the office. Each of the three oflicials is 
separately responsible for the conduct of his department. Sitting 
together as the superior council they may annul or revise the action 
of any one of the constituent members thereof. The Department of 
the Interior may annul or revise the action of the superior council 
itself. 

Each of the 13 municii)alities, including the City of Mexico, has 
also its own ayuntamiento, or local council, composed of men 
elected by popular vote for a four-3'ear term. A councillor must 
'be at least 25 years of age and a Mexican citizen. 

Probably the city's most important municipal undertaking was the 
construction of a canal to drain the vall(>y in which the city stands. 
Begun in the IGth century, it was many years in course of construc- 
tion. A special board renewed cH'orts in 1886 and carried the enter- 
prise to consununation by 1900. AVc have r(>ferred to the valley as 
having no natural outlet; by drain pipi's, canals, and a tunnel, 
however, the surplus waters of (he valley and lakes, as well as the 
underground sewerage of the capital, are earri •<! beyond th(> encircling 



14 MEXICO, THE CITY OF PALACES. 

hills and mountains. A Avat.n"\vorks system, utilizing the springs of 
adjacent mountains, supplies the city to-day with an abundance of 
pure water and also flushes the canals, aided partly by mechanical 
pressure. The whole system has cost the municipality more than 
S5,000,000. 

Mexico City's streets run north and south and east and west, with 
many new and broad avenups that offer interesting contrasts to the 
narrow streets or 'callejons" constructed in former eras. They 
are usually level and the newer ones well paved or constructed in 
accordan3e with modern street paving methods. On older streets 
the long popular cobble stones are still to be seen. The beautiful 
avenue known as the Paseo de la Eeforma, stretching about 3 miles 
from the city proper to the Hill of Chapultepec, is a model of its kind. 
Many of the world's avenues were examined and studied by a Mexican 
street commission, and numerous points of utility or excellence were 
adopted for the Paseo de la Reforma. Along this unusually broad 
avenue are half a dozen or more great circles, or "glorietas," in some 
of which magnificent statues have already been erected, while on the 
sides at intervals are placed smaller statues of modern or historical 
heroes. A double line of beautiful eucalyptus and other trees add 
shady patches here and there along the course, while the private 
lawns and flower beds on either side provide other features that make 
this one of the world's most attractive and interesting avenues. 

The streets of Mexico City are somewhat puzzling to the stranger. 
For instance, Callc San Francisco, now the Avenue Francisco I. 
Madero, always a popular thorouglifare with native or guest, had 
different sections, as First San Francisco, Second San Francisco, etc., 
according to the location of a certain block. This ancient system was 
changed a few years ago and all streets from east to west were desig- 
nated as avenues; those running north and south became streets or 
"calles," and in each case a single name was bestowed on the entire 
thoroughfare, / Legend and tradition are strong, however, and many 
people appear to prefer the older order of street designation, except 
in cases of some of the new avenues. Mexicans also cling to patriotic 
names, like CaUe Cinco de Maj^o for instance, which is the date they 
won a victory over the French (May 5, 1862) at Puebla. We also 
find the Spanish cciuivalent for such street names as lUustrious Men, 
vSad In(Han, Walking Priest, Lost Child, Bridge of the Kaven, The 
Watch, etc. Th(M-e are nearly 1,000 streets and "lanes." 

At the outward end of the Paseo stands the castle of Chapultepec, 
constructed on the crest of a high natural bhifT, from which one may 
enjoy a magnificent view of the city antl surrounding region, a 
winding roadway leads from the lower level to the top of this "Hill 
of the Cirasslioppor,'' as it is called; and along the route on stones 
are figures and hieroglyphic s made by the Aztecs or their predeces- 
sors. At one point on this road we pass a cavelike opening which is 




HEADQUARTERS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF MEXICO CITY. 




THE I)EPAi;tmi;n T oi ( i.mmi mcatio.xs wn ii r.i.u wokks. .\ii:.\iiti cit'*'. 

This nnc ediflcp is indiaitivc of the mmiproiis piihlic biiildiiiKs of I lie more inodorii ly|>P, which hiive 
l)ccn erected in (he Mexican capilul during recent years. 



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18 MEXICO, THE CITY OF PALACES. 

the entrance to an underground passage to the top of the hill, which 
is said to have been a secret route of ascent in olden days. This 
interior passage is closed to-day to visitors, but years ago an elevator 
was constructed in one part of the passage which has been frequently 
used by the presidents. 

Once upon the crest of Chapultepcc, 200 feet above the city, the 
traveler is charmed, not alone by the views but by the way nature 
and man have combined forces to produce the unusual, the interest- 
ing, and the picturesque. On the Pyramid of the Sun, of which we 
have spoken, all is ancient work; on Chapultepec a great modern 
castle and fortress stands, a portion of which has long served as the 
summer re idence of the President of the Republic. 

From Chapultepec we have what might be termed a close view of 
the capital city — much closer than from the p^Tamid's crest. At 
the immediate base of the hill stands the Bosc{ue or forest of fine 
old cypress trees overshadowing miles of drives and walks, with 
here and there hanging baskets of moss and vines arranged by 
nature herself. On the edge of this historical setting the Chapultepec 
restaurant has been erected, and so popular has this resort become 
that in late afternoons or evenings the ehte of capital society may 
be found there sipping the tea of the Orient, domestic chocolate, or 
partaking of some of the best food to be found in tne city. The roads 
are crowded with motor cars, carriages, and slow-moving pedes- 
trians, all out for pleasure and recreation, and for the time being 
forgetful of the more serious side of life. 

Another famous hill in the suburbs of Mexico is that of Guadalupe, 
and in visiting its sacred precincts we pass over an ancient causeway 
rich in legendary lore, and along which modern electric cars are 
now operated. High on Guadalupe's crest a chapel stands whirh is 
closely related to the history of the colonial period of the capital. 
At the base of the hill is the famous shrine of Guadalupe. 

Still another interesting sight, especially for the visitor, is the old 
tree in the subm-b of Tacuba under which Cortes sat and wept on 
the night of July 1, 1520, when he and his troops were so terribly 
defeated by the Aztecs. The tree is a species of cypress, and some 
yeai-s ago a fanatic attempted its destruction by starting a fire at its 
base, but the prompt arrival of officers prevented the tree's destruc- 
tion. To-day a high iron fence surrounds this relic of the past 
which has long weathered the ravages of time. It is called the •'tree 
of the sad night," or, in Spanish, "el arbol de la noche triste." 

In Coyeacan, another suburb of the capital, stands one of the 
homes of Cortes, still in a fair state of preservation and in use as a 
public office buihfing. 

To the stranger the an'rient structures of Mexico City are far 
more interesting than those of recent date. We have space for 
only a glance at a few of tlu> most noteworthy. The site of the 



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THE NORMAL SCHOOL IN MEXICO CITY FOR THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS AND 

PROiJ'ESSORS. 




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THE NATIONAL GEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, MEXICO CITY. 




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THE "GLORIETA" OF CHAPULTEPEC. 

Here we have a striking illustration of the work of nature and man. The great tree standing in the 
foreground measures many feet in circumference, as is e^'idenced by the human chain drawn around 
its base. In the background one catches a glimpse of a beautiful marble monument. Both of these 
features of beauty are admired by all visitors, as well as by citizens. 




THE SCHOOL OF MINES, ONE OF THE FAMOUS SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS OF THE 

MEXICAN CAPITAL. 

Strangers visiting this institution will be especially interested in the display of minerals and in the 
numerous specimens of the geological formation of the country. Many well-known engineers of Mex- 
ico and other countries have studied their profession here. 



22 MEXICO, THE CITY OF PALACES. 

Aztec ruler's teo:alli or temple is occupied by the present cathedral, 
a massive structure 374 feet long and 198 feet wide, containing 
marble altars, silver rails, and priceless paintings and tapestries. 
This great structure was started in 1573 and was many years in 
construction. Architecturally it is said to be "composite." The 
lower part is Doric, above this is exaggerated Ionic, while the 
higher parts are Corinthian. The facade, from which rise two 
towers each 204 feet high, is divided into three divisions which rep- 
resent the three Greek orders. Gray stone and white marble were 
used largely in building this cathedral. 

Another side of the Plaza Mayor is occupied to-day by the National 
Palace, the official home of the President of the RepubUc and various 
other Government officers. On the site of this palace Cortes built a 
home, which was destroyed in 1692. The present edifice was begun 
shortly after that date and has been enlarged from time to time. 
Over the main entrance hangs the liberty bell of ^Mexico, which was 
rung in 1810 by Hidalgo to call his fellow countrymen to arms. 

Volumes have been \mtten about the National Museum of Mexico 
City. Truly, it is one of the world's greatest storehouses of aboriginal 
art; and scholars from every part of the earth have visited, marveled, 
and studied amid this vast collection. On the fu'st floor stand the 
giant monoliths. The famous Calendar Stone, long embedded in 
the foundation of the cathedral, was removed to the museum in 
1886; the Sacrificial Stone is another wonder, mth its basin and 
channel, the latter supposedly to carry off the blood of its victims. 
The Sad Indian, dug up from one of the city streets in 1828, is another 
ancient work. The God of Fire is still another notable figure pre- 
served at the museum, as are thousands of other rehcs of bygone 
peoples. 

A visit to Mexico City's floating gardens, or, more propin-ly speak- 
ing, to La Viga Canal, is a memorable experience, especially if the 
trip be made on Sunda3^ It is time well spent if one would know 
the humbler type of Mexican, catch a glimpse of liis life and pro- 
pensities, and to note his skill as a flower producer and salesman. 
Mexico City, as we have observed, lies near several lakes — Zumpango, 
Xaltocan, and San Cristobal on the north, Texcoco on the east; while 
Chalco and Xocliimilco lie south of the city. La Viga and other 
canals connect lakes and city; and it is on these waterways that so 
many flowers grow, hence the name of floating gardens seems quite 
appropriate. Amid fk)wer-bedecked boats passing and repassing, 
the boatmen pole their visitor along this uni([ue watercourse; some- 
times for a few extra centavos a guitar player and a singer may be 
engaged, tluis adding a romantic feature to the Venice-like experience. 

Architecture of Mexico City ranges from the very ancient to the 
most modern construction art. After the arrival of Cortes the build- 
ings gradually assumed a Si)niiisli-M()()iisli s(yl(> as new ones were 




VIEW OF THE GENERAL HOSPITAL, MEXICO CITY. 

As indicated in the picture, this establishment is quite modern and is one of the largest and best 
equipped institutions of its kind in the world. It is the culmination of a cherished desire of leading 
Mexican citizens for a hospital worthy of the name, and represents a large financial outlay 




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THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT. 



26 MEXICO, THE CITY OF PALACES. 

erected. As the years passed, Spanish architecture replaced other 
kinds with modifications to suit climatic or special conditions. Dur- 
ing the rule of Maximilian modernizmg influences were marked. 
There is a general absence of cellars on account of the marshy nature 
of the region; chimneys also are somewhat scarce, as the climate does 
not require heated houses. Recent j^ears have seen the construction 
of several modern office buildings, a few of which might be termed 
the "skyscrapers" of Mexico. Naturally, these business structures 
have been placed in the most active commercial parts, most of them 
being within a short distance of the Alameda or the Plaza de la 
Constitucion, familiarly kno^^^l as the Zocalo. Many very modern 
and beautiful residences have also been built m recent years, both in 
the city proper and in suburban districts. The National Library, 
with its 200,000 volumes; the University with more than 20 allied 
institutions of higher academic and professional training, not to 
mention at least 600 high and primary schools, give one a fair idea of 
how well the capital's youth are looked after in the way of educa- 
tional advantages. The National School of Mmes, erected in 1813, 
cost $200,000 and has been a power in the field of education. For 
those engaged during the day there are operated a number of night 
schools. The National Military College, at Tlalpam, has several 
hundred cadets, while the naval academy at Vera CVuz usually has 
more than 100 government students. 

The field of journalism is well covered by the publications of the 
capital, there being registered about 225 different newspapers and 
magazines, with normally 10 daily papers. The leading dailies print 
a liberal amount of telegraphic news from all parts of the world, 
while the illustrated feature of magazine making has grown to a 
high degree of excellence. 

Mexico City can not jet be termed a great manufacturing center, 
but rather a city in earl}'- stages of promismg factory growth. On 
wandering here and there about the city one is surprised to note the 
number of articles that are locally made. Numerous tanneries pro- 
duce fine grades of leather and the latter is turned into a hundred 
useful articles by the expert Mexican leather worker. In visiting 
such establishments one sees trunks, saddles, bridles, belts, carriage 
and farm harness, automobile accessories, boots and shoes, and 
various other articles of everyday use. A single factory has facili- 
ties for manufacturing 2,000 paii-s of shoes per day. Every visitor 
to Mexico City is sure to admire and to purchase a belt or handbag, 
beautifully made and exquisitely carved by the Mexican workmen. 
Cotton manufacture in the llcpublic has grown largely in recent 
years and in the capital city large supplies are annually placed upon 
the market from 10 or more local mills operated by modern ma- 
chinery. That which is said of cotton manufacture is also true of 
the making of woolen cloth, shawls, blankets, etc., the most imjiortant 
fa<'tory Ix'ing in the State of Mc^xico not far from the cai)ital city; it 
has nearly 5,000 spindles, 117 looms, and normally about SOO ojiera- 
tives. Alexico City also has a lincui mill, and in surl)u])an towns or 
near at hand is produced the bulk of ncws-jirint paj^er used ])y the 
printing establishments of the ca])ital. Within the federal district 
are many cigar and cigarette factories, which not only give employ- 
ment to thousands of workers, but supply a growing demand. One 
of Mexico City's newest industries is that of aeroplane construction — 
an ent('i'|)ris(> thai has nh-cndy produced :i nuinlxM" of nuudiines for 



MEXICO, THE CITY OF PALACES. 29 

commercial and other purposes. These machines are now being built 
entirely by native mechanics at the aviation school and shops of the 
capital, and several improvements are reported to have been devised 
by the constructors. An abundant supply of electric energy from the 
Necaxa Falls, which were first developed about 15 years ago, fur- 
nishes the power for the city's lighting, tramways, etc. Addi- 
tional improvements are expected to generate 200,000 horsepower, 
and Mexico City as well as other neighboring communities will doubt- 
less respond more freely to the call of the factory. 

A score or more of public and private hospitals are in operation in 
the capital city, and a number of these institutions date from the 
colonial period. The General Hospital, completed in 1905, is of very 
modern construction and equipment. It has 28 or more "pavilions" 
and can accommodate nearly 1,000 patients. There is also a large 
and well equipped hospital for children. This institution is non- 
sectarian and is capable of taking good care of at least 1,000 children; 
and those who are poor or needy are taught useful arts or trades so 
that they may be self-supporting and of service to the country. 
There is also a hospital for the use of railway employees; while the 
English, American, Spanish, French, and other colonies have their 
own hospitals and sanitariums. As in many other cities of the world, 
the various foreign colonies also have their own cemeteries. 

Mexico City has a well-organized body of police, and in few if any 
large cities do we find these guardians of the peace more capable. 
Every important street crossing or traffic center has its special 
officer; and one of the rather unusual features of the system is the 
lantern which forms a part of each officer's equipment. At night as 
one looks down a street, a row of low middle-street lights stretches 
away in the distance, and to the stranger this appears as a unique 
part of vigilance. On many of the most important avenues and 
streets th3 mounted officer is always on guard, and his soldierly 
appearance, thorough equipment, and splendid steed bring terror to 
the evildoer. In the city, too, on special holiday occasions, one sees 
troops of the world-famous Rurales brought in from their posts of 
duty. These men are among the world's most picturesque horsemen, 
with large sombreros, often completely leather-clad bodies, superbly 
equipped, and mounted on some of the finest horses to be found in 
Mexico or in any country. 

The journey to Mexico City may be made by various routes over 
land or by water. If one passes southward over land from the United 
States to Mexico, a long and rather tedious railway trip lies between 
the border and the capital. For 300 miles, more or less, the country 
is not very interesting, with now and then a mining town or a city 
standing along the route. Normally, Pullman cars are attached to 
the best trains from El Paso and other Rio Grande cities directly 
to the Mexican capital. A hundred miles or so before reaching the 
latter, the country blossoms forth in foliage and vegetation, and the 
whole aspect presents a complete and agreeable change from the 
dry region of the central north. For scenic beauty the writer prefers 
the railroad from Vera Cruz to Mexico City, a wonderfully varied route 
and a road that taxed engineering talent as weU as the coffers of its 
promoters. If a night stop is made at Orizaba the traveler inay 
enjoy an early morning ride through one of the world's most beautiful 
regions with the marvelous sights of the Maltrata Valley, in pictur- 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



32 MEXICO, THE CITY OF PALACES. 



esquensss to bs comparad with the views along ihi L ^^^ 332 944 fli 

raihoad up the Himalayas to Darjeeling in India or ^^ 

land tea districts of Ce34on. The distance to Mexico City from the 
fom* points on the Rio Grande varies from 860 to about 1,200 miles, 
while from Vera Cruz to the capital the railroad distance is 263 miles. 
There is also th? well-known rail connection from the Mexican capital 
to Guatemala and to various Pacific and Gulf of Mexico ports. The 
city is the tjrminus for six railways. The stranger traveling from 
any direction toward the City of Mexico, upon reachmg the central 
plain, finds among the country's striking features the universal 
cultivation of flowers and the vast fields of maguey. The former 
are to be had during the entire year, and of such a multitude of 
varieties as to please every individual taste. The latter plant pro- 
duces the national drink of the masses ; so flowers and pukj^ue are at 
least two commodities to be found on every morning train bound for 
Mexico City. 

Appropos of the annual independence celebration which occurs 
the middle of September, the following is an extract taken from the 
writer's notebook made on one of these occasions some years ago: 

By far the most interesting part of the entire celebration does not begin until to- 
ward midnight of the 15tli or 16th. Imagine, if you can, a city with a normal popu- 
lation of over half a million people, augmented by thousands from all parts of the 
country. The air is ])almy. and tlie gorgeous profusion of blooming flowers and 
climbing vines reach from sidewalk to the very tops of the houses and "shake o'er a 
faint perfume. ' ' Flags of many hues, interwoven among the blossoms and the electric 
bulbs, remind us that friendly nations, too, are joining in the celebration. All ve- 
hicles, for the time being, have been ordered from the street connecting the Alameda 
with the Plaza Mayor or Zocalo, and the beautiful thoroughfare is now completely in 
possession of the shouting populace. The enthusiasm can not be restrained; neither 
is there any desire on the part of officials to quiet Hie throng, for this is the national 
holiday, and good-natured merrymaking is tlie order of the day. As the night ad- 
vances, humanity moves en masse toward the historic plaza fronting the palace. 
Here amid shouts and gladness and the combined patriotic airs of numerous bands 
the great throng awaits the coming of the eventful hour of midnight. Slowly but 
surely the time approaches; huzzahs have ceased, and the throng now awaits silently, 
almost breathlessly, the final stroke of the great clock. The hour is at hand! The 
President of the Republic appears on the bacony of the palace. The lights sur- 
rounding the liberty bell, just abo\e, throw his figure into bold relief as he utters 
the famous "grito," and pulls the rope of the same old bell that called to arms the 
patriots of Dolores, more than 100 years ago. Instantly the blasts of l)ugles and the 
shouts of '"Long live the President of Mexico" resound again and again far back over 
the multitude. The cathedral, so dear to the hearts of all Mexicans, which a moment 
ago was in total darkness, is now gemmed against the heavens l">y thousands of in- 
candescent lights. Its giant, deep-toned bells, revolving completely, send forth 
thunderous music, which is taken up by all the bells of the city and reechoed far out 
over the valley. Rockets blaze forth from scores of towers and exploding bombs 
rain showers of fire over the .shouting crowds. 

Numerous signs point to an era of better days in Mexico, and some 
authorities have devoted many pages to analyzing these conditions 
in detail, which can not be reiterated here for lack of space. Among 
the influences for good let us not underestimate the power of women 
in assisting Mexico to work out her social and political problems. 
Women of Mexico arc becoming more interested in the country's 
welfare and development, and their activities are constantly assum- 
ing wider scope. With their aid the thoughtful and patriotic men 
of this richly l)lessod country are l)ringiiig about a jieriod of peace 
and tran({uillity which will assure its future material prosperity. 



ililll 

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